AS Spurs finally get on with life without Gareth Bale, a new Welsh wizard being hailed as his potential successor is set to take centre stage at The Emirates this afternoon ... in an Arsenal shirt.

Unlike their big-spending visitors, the Gunners may not have any new names of note to parade this afternoon. But according to manager Arsene Wenger, Aaron Ramsey is showing all the signs of stepping into his fellow countryman’s record-breaking boots after finally recovering from an horrendous broken leg.

Wenger’s comeback kid has started this season displaying the sort of talent and technique that persuaded the Frenchman to pay Cardiff nearly £5million for him as an 18-year-old, when he was being talked about as potentially better than Bale.

Two goals against Fenerbahce last week made it three in four games, plus two man-of-the-match accolades. Enough, says his boss, to suggest the world could soon be Ramsey’s oyster – just as it will for Bale.

By tomorrow, Ramsey could have a couple of big-money team-mates to help nurture his fast-emerging talents, along with two other Arsenal players who Wenger last night hailed as good reasons for ignoring the transfer clamour and any urge to buy reinforcements for the sake of it.

Both Jack Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky have, like Ramsey, overcome long-term injuries. All three have their gaffer purring.

Wenger says: “Ramsey is 22 and Wilshere 21, so they can only get better. They have fantastic qualities and fantastic engines. People don’t realise they have something special here.

“When you have players like that, you know you have real quality for the next five or six years. That kind of pride and patience is not rated any more. It has just disappeared. People just want more and more. It’s consumerism at any cost.”

It’s the same story with Rosicky He’s older than the other two but, says Wenger: “A fantastic player.

“He turned our season around two years ago after a long-term injury and last season it was the same. Many times our results are linked with his presence. He will have a big impact this season if he stays injury-free.

“People don’t question any more if players are better than the ones you already have. You have to find a better player than Rosicky, Cazorla or Wilshere. People forget how good the players you have are, but hopefully we will strengthen our squad.”

They are not likely to forget Bale in a hurry at Spurs, which is why Andre Villas-Boas – unlike Mr Wenger – has spent big money this summer to make sure there is life after the most expensive player in the world.

Spurs are the second-biggest spenders in the Premier League this summer – £26m for Roberto Soldado, £17m for Paulinho, £9.3m for Etienne Capoue, £8.5m for Vlad Chiriches and £7m for Nacer Chadli. By tomorrow they will almost certainly have completed the record £30m signing of Argentinian winger Erik Lamela from Roma and the £10m capture of Ajax’s Christian Eriksen.

All money well spent, insists AVB, in his bid to transform Spurs into something a lot more than the

one-man band churlish critics claimed they were last season.

“We have more individual quality now,” he claims. “We have done good things in the market to make us stronger and to give us the ability to rotate. I think the players will play their roles with much more impact.

Wilshere can give Arsenal top quality for years to come, says his manager Wenger

When you have players like that, you know you have real quality for the next five or six years. That kind of pride and patience is not rated any more. It has just disappeared. People just want more and more. It’s consumerism at any cost

Arsene Wenger

“We will probably see a much more fluent team game, rather than individual moments of brilliance we had from Gareth. I think we have built a very, very strong team now.”

There is also the small matter of making amends after losing out to Arsenal for a Champions League place, something that still hurts deeply around White Hart Lane.

The Spurs boss said: “Those were difficult conditions. We were ever so close. There was a moment in March when our fortunes turned a little bit but on that last day anything could have happened. It could have been us. Unfortunately it wasn’t.

“Now we have to put together a very strong team that can work. The results are there. We just need time to work with them all.”

AVB can only hope they have had time enough to topple Arsenal today. That’s what the Spurs faithful want more than anything ... and he knows it.ARSENE WENGER